TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Prosecutors in Leon County are taking a closer look at “Hope Florida.” A grand jury in Tallahassee will be diving into the high-profile charity program on Monday.
The program helps people get off government assistance, but what started as a Medicaid settlement with a major healthcare company has escalated into accusations of fraud, money laundering, and misuse of taxpayer funds.
At the center of the controversy is a $67 million settlement between the state of Florida and Centene Corporation, a major Medicaid provider accused of overbilling for prescription drug services.
The probe focuses on $10 million that the Hope Florida Foundation got from a Medicaid settlement. The money then went to a political group fighting Florida’s recreational marijuana amendment. One of those groups was led by James Uthmeier, who was Governor DeSantis’s Chief of Staff at the time.
State officials say subpoenas have gone out for witnesses over the last several weeks for the case, but their names have not yet been released.
Florida’s Governor and First Lady have strongly defended the program in the past.
“Hope Florida is not a program. Hope Florida is an idea. Hope Florida is a philosophy. It is how can we help people in need and do better legitimately? It’s not about just giving somebody a check and hoping it goes well. We’ll see you later, and this is what you’re entitled to, and that’s the end of the story,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis.
“Shouldn’t we as Floridians, put aside political agenda and embrace things that have actually lifted people up, offered them hope and put them on a pathway to self-sufficiency,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.
The controversy surrounding Hope Florida has now raised broader concerns—not only about financial transparency, but about the blurred lines between charitable work and political influence.
Critics argue that the situation illustrates how easily large sums of money can flow through nonprofit channels with minimal public accountability.
That grand jury will convene on Monday in Tallahassee.
This is a developing story. We will update this article as we learn more.
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